Braving the Wilds
by InquisitorJF
Summary: The world is safe, Corypheus is no more, does that means the end of the Inquisition? A new adventure arises beneath the mighty Frostbacks, as John Trevelyan finds a new companion for his band of misfits, and perhaps, she turns out to be more than that. A man seeking to maintain peace and a woman too skeptical to believe that such thing is possible. How interesting is that?
1. Recruiting

Morrigan was never a sociable person, or at least that was the label she received by most. Of course, if you prefer the company of reasonable persons to fools, you'd be called that by the fools, and of course that the fools are way more numerous.

Meaning it was best to keep herself away.

It was exactly what she was doing that night, going to Skyhold's gardens, far away from the rambunctious and crowded main hall.

Word of the Inquisitor's stunning success had spread fast and the festivities were organized at a similar speed. The Chief Diplomat Josephine's rapid response impressed her, even though it was hardly a surprise, nobility was always quick to hold balls and parties in some champion's name, especially if that champion happened to save the world.

Corypheus was no more, slain by the hands of the mighty Lord John Trevelyan himself, the Herald of Andraste, Guardian of the Templar Order, Defender of the Orlesian Grey Wardens Branch, Savior of Empress Celene and Leader of the Fabled Inquisition.

Those were merely some of the many accolades the young man received after his adventures.

He was all that, true, but there was a side of him that the tales did no justice, especially his stubbornness.

The frustration of watching a simple-minded man drink from the Well of Sorrows still disturbed her, although the consequences of that action proved to be dire enough for her to be thankful for being denied that.

The man could easily be considered bothersome, but the months spent as the Liaison to the Inquisition showed her a great deal of his qualities.

"It was nice knowing him." She spoke to herself just as she arrived at her destination. The noise coming from the party instantly faded away, replaced by the nighty song of the mountain, the way she liked it.

After a few moments enjoying the stillness of the garden, the apostate resumed her walking, this time heading to her chambers.

The apostate decided to make use of the distractions of that night to leave without a sound. She was no longer useful for anything, and there was no need to stay there, surrounded by sharks and the intrigues that were about to fall over that gilded fortress with the success.

She would gather her belongings, which were not many anyway, and would start her long trip down the Frostbacks. Hopefully, no one would notice her absence, not that anyone there cared for her.

The witch of the wilds shuddered with the thought of braving the cold during the night. However, it was better that way, waiting for the morning could cause a fuss.

She was beginning to ponder where she would be going next when something drew her attention.

A seated form on a bench near the center of the yard, it was too dark to see exactly who was. However, as she approached it, the mage finally identified some familiar features, especially a crimson armor reflecting the moonlight.

John was looking up, gazing at the starry sky, apparently deep in thoughts. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she wondered if it should stay like that.

 _'_ _I guess I own him that much.'_ She concluded while sighing, slightly bitter with her foiled plan.

"Half of Thedas make drunken toasts to your victory, and yet you are not present to hear them?" Morrigan started, pacing slowly towards him. "Do you tire so quickly of their congratulations, Inquisitor? ´Tis most fickle, after all your efforts on their behalf." She could not help but use a teasing tone whenever talking with him, why she was not sure.

The Free Marcher snorted, keeping his eyes up but surely recognizing her voice, several months were enough for that. "Everyone suddenly wants to talk to me. You, at least, I'm glad to see." The last part he spoke looking directly at her.

She chuckled with his response, eyeing the ground for a moment, before taking a seat next to him. "By all means, you must get used to this. Your opinion will most likely be sought out for every matter around the world coming from everywhere."

"Yes. Still, I could use a small break. I would rather go to my room, but the crowd at the main hall makes that impossible, so here I am. However, I wasn't expecting anyone here." He explained, raising a single eyebrow.

"Well, I might say the same." She replied.

The young man nodded, resuming his star looking, his armor creaking with every motion. "I see."

The shapeshifter took the chance to inquire something that was bothering her. "May I ask why you're still in your armor? 'Tis quite odd."

He seemed surprised, but not with the question, he commenced checking his body, feeling the metallic plates. Afterwards, some laughter, as he stated. "I did not even know I was wearing it."

The puzzled expression that she flashed his way dismissed any need for words as he sighed, beaten.

"I guess I grew too fond of it, it feels weird without it. You get so used to fighting that when there is peace things do not feel right." Trevelyan reasoned, rather sadly.

They kept a silence for a while, allowing his words to sink in, before the apostate finally complemented, turning her attention to him. "I would not worry too much with that, mankind blunders through the world, the unknown lurks around the corner. This peace you fought so much to achieve will be short-lived, and soon you'll have to swing that greatsword again."

Maybe her words were too harsh, but the truth in them couldn't be denied. She knew the world well enough to know better. She had smelled it as a wolf, listened as a cat, prowled shadows that no one ever _dreamed_ existed. Yes, she knew it well, it was exactly the reason why she was leaving.

John was perplexed with her cold speech, but his expression showed that he was aware of that truth. "You're right." He spoke, clearly understanding the reasons she mentioned. "But I like to believe that it can be maintained, this peace, just wish I'm able to do that."

He smirked after finishing, unsure if he believed on his own words. "Here I am, hoping to keep peace, when a few moments ago, I was complaining about it feeling weird."

The Inquisitor then facepalmed while exhaling deeply.

 _'_ _You are a quite interesting person.'_ This was the thought that crossed her mind as Morrigan wondered about his words. That man was getting her curiosity.

"Anyway." He interrupted her pondering. "You're leaving." It was not even a question. Her eyes widened with it as she tried to remember showing or saying anything.

The warrior smiled. "Now I'm sure of it."

"I don't like being fooled into little games of words, Inquisitor." She retorted sharply, after realizing his gamble and the way she fell for it.

He immediately rose his arms, palms forward, trying to shield himself from any harm coming his way.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I've learned a few tricks with the Orlesian court."

"You are a fast learner then." The witch added, still angry and making him laugh.

Now John was starting to annoy her, his laughter was about to be the last straw when suddenly he spoke once more, this time awfully serious. "You can stay here if you want to."

The offer was unexpected, to say the least, the expression on her face obviously showing her bewilderment. "There is no more use for me, besides, I would like to avoid being encountered by mother, and here I'm basically on a showcase." She explained, displaying hints of affliction.

"That is a problem best dealt with help." He reasoned and she struggled with the urge to mock him.

"I don't need your help, nor anyone's. I'm not a princess in distress." There was venom in her words, she never liked being treated like a mere woman needing aid and her displeasure even allowed her to forget an important detail, it was not as if he could do anything. The Inquisitor was forever bound to Mythal, to Flemeth. She would be safer away from him.

Morrigan was about to comment on the matter when she perceived the curious look he was giving her.

"I never said that you needed anything." He spoke. "You definitely can take care of yourself. All I'm offering is when the time comes, if the time comes, I'll gladly lend you my sword, just as you've lent me your staff."

That brought a smile to her face, as they maintained eye contact for more time than they should.

"Aren't you forgetting something, my lord Inquisitor?" The apostate questioned, poking him lightly on his sides, not that he could actually feel anything, not with his armor.

He easily got the message, releasing a couple of awkward chuckles while scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I was kind of hoping you could also figure something to get me out of this whole Mythal mess."

"Hum." She murmured, contemplating the offer. "So, do you want me to remain as a Liaison?"

"Actually, another position just opened up. My previous apostate kind of ran away." Trevelyan explained.

"The elf really disappeared then." She concluded, earning a nod from him.

Suddenly, it dawned on her, what he was implying. "This means you are offering me a place on your inner circle, alongside you?"

Another nod, this one accompanied by a warm smile.

Morrigan was having a hard time in accepting how forthcoming that warrior was being with her and he likely noticed it, because he quickly added. "I've saw you in action, back at that Temple, you are really skilled. It impressed me, and it goes without mentioning that your aid in navigating through the Arbor Wilds was key to our victory."

He allowed some moments of silence, hoping that his arguments would help her make a decision.

"What do you say?" Trevelyan inquired, and she could easily identify some eagerness coming from him.

"Is it me, or the most powerful man in Thedas happens to really desire my presence in his cold castle?" She was definitely enjoying where that conversation was going, she wanted to hear him say he wanted her there and the crafty mage would not stop at nothing until getting what she wanted.

But apparently, he had other plans, none including giving her the satisfaction she was expecting, at least not easily. "You ask an awful lot of questions." John stated evasively.

She smirked. _'I know how to play games as well, your worship.'_

"Well, if I ask them is because I want answers." The witch retorted.

The young man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is this really necessary?"

"Have I not been clear enough?" Her question making him slump his shoulders in defeat.

He sighed, before saying in a playful tone. "Lady Morrigan, I want you to be my new companion."

"And I accept your most kind offer." She replied instantly, proudly crossing her arms.

There was a great amount of satisfaction with that small exchange of words. It was rather fun to deal with him.

Pleasures apart, she still needed to make it clear that her presence there would not be welcomed by most and it could cause complications. He had her respect, it was enough for her to worry about any outcome that could affect him. "There will be some wagging tongues with this and they can prove too much, even for you, Inquisitor. Are you sure of this?" She explained sternly.

"I travel with a Grey Warden pretender, a mercenary Tal-Vashoth, a crazy friend of Red Jenny, a witty mage from Tevinter, a Spirit of Compassion turned more human, and so it goes." John reasoned amidst some laughs. "Do you honestly think I care for wagging tongues?"

Yes, that man was definitely getting her interest.

"Then you shall be seeing a great deal more of me, my lord." The witch of the wilds said and both smiled as he finally stood up, ready to leave.

"Very well, I guess it's time to actually hear some of those toast." He explained while fixing his armor. "See you in the morning, my lady."

She acknowledged his farewell with a small bow and watched as he turned towards the garden's exit.

After he was out of her sight and she was completely alone, Morrigan began to wonder about that unexpected turn of events. A decent side of her was regretting her new commitment to the Inquisition, another one saw it as a powerful tool that she could use for her benefit.

Yet, deep inside, a small portion of her mind was excited with the prospect of dealing with the Herald.

Slightly conflicted with herself, she decided to head to her room and sleep, truth be told, the witch was also tired. There would be enough time to worry about that later.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yeah, I blame Bioware with this obsession of mine with non-romanceable characters in Inquisition. Leliana is awesome, but Morrigan is great too, so what happens when you can't romance a character? You write a fiction about it! This one won't be as long as The Horse Lord and the Nightingale since it is set after the main gameplay, and I really hope I'll be able to keep a steady rythm with both. Well, in this tale, the Inquisitor didn't romaced anyone and Morrigan doesn't have her child (Default World State), well that leaves some doors open, right? Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this, and let me apologize in advance because I will probably not post any new chapter for at least a month, but that doesn't mean I will abandon it! Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. New adventure

"Can't we take a break?" John almost begged as he closed another elven tome and threw it atop a pile of books immediately in front of him. "My back hurts." He said, raising to his feet and stretching his muscles.

From besides him, Morrigan merely scoffed while camly flipping a page from the book she was reading, never taking her eyes from it. "May I remind you, Inquisitor, that we are doing this at your own request. 'Please Morrigan, help me understand these powers that I now carry.' You said something like that, did you not?" She mocked him and the tone she used while mimicking his words reminded him of a craving child.

 _'_ _That must be an accurate depiction of me.'_ He pondered, slightly amused.

Soon afterwards, the warrior sighed, content just to pace aimlessly, examining the environment surrounding them.

They were at "The Crossroads", or at least that is how she called it, the mysterious nexus beyond the Eluvian, and there, amidst foggy elven ruins, they decided to commence their studies about the powers received from the Well of Sorrows.

Time passed slower there, he was almost sure of it. How long has it been since their arrival? The young man could only speculate while gazing at the portal they've entered. The true name and purpose of that place, long lost.

Every now and then, he could hear some indistinct whispers, no doubt explaining unknown things to him, but he still was not able to properly understand it, hence the training he was undertaking with her.

Frankly, that place both amazed him and gave him the creeps and the young man was seriously considering changing his training ground.

"Something troubles you?" The witch of the wilds questioned, making him turn to her.

She was now looking straight at him and he wondered for how long she watched his thoughtful walking. "I can't really put my finger on it, something here brings a lot of uneasiness to me. The voices seem… Louder." He explained, bearing a pensive expression.

The apostate finally stood up, walking towards him, her purple robes swinging effortlessly with every step. "I was hoping for that." She started, checking everything around them. "This place is the apex of elven magic, 'tis only natural that you would react to it accordingly."

"Yeah, I can definitely understand your reasoning, still, it is quite disturbing." He added.

"I'm sure of it, but 'tis necessary, the progress we've made, is promising." Morrigan replied, already in front of him.

Trevelyan snorted. "From incoherent words to barely discernible ones, great." His voice filled with sarcasm.

"Slow progress, yes, but progress nonetheless." She retorted quickly, probably trying to encourage him.

It was rather fascinating how devoted she was getting with those sessions they held. Almost a month later and the rhythm was as intense as ever. She was right, the improvements were there, he was being too pessimist about it. However, some of the rambling he was able to comprehend contradicted greatly what he was currently reading about, it was giving him quite the headache.

On the bright side, the ability to read elven texts and control a dragon was useful, to say the least.

Suddenly a surge of pain rushed through his body, as shouts echoed inside his mind.

The Free Marcher dropped to his knees, eyes tightly closed and holding his head as if it could bring some relief to him.

It was getting louder and louder when he felt a soft hand over his shoulder, instantly easing the pain.

He opened a single eye and saw the mage crouched right next to him, her face was of sheer concern as she instructed him. "You are hearing it, right? Remember what I told you, focus on one at a time, and keep calm."

John exhaled deeply, before following her instructions, trying to listen to the clearest voice and ignoring the rest. _'Mythal.'_ A whisper stood out and he winced with the effort. _'Fen'Harel.'_ Another one.

His eyes widened as he narrated what he was able to comprehend. "Something happened to Mythal."

That seemed to change Morrigan, her cool composure immediately switching to affliction. He never saw how fast her other hand reached his other shoulder, it was a blur, but he felt quite well how she began to rock his torso back and forward. "What happened?" She demanded and once more, he shut his eyelids.

"I can't really understand, it is something about Fen'Harel." He explained while the pain increased. The Inquisitor was aware of the Dread Wolf, but what really intrigued him was how it would be involved with Flemeth.

The pain was closing to the unbearable when he finally gave up on hearing, he freed himself from her rather firm grasp and began stumbling backwards, clinging to his head as if to prevent his brain from exploding.

It started to fade away, for his great happiness. Slowly he reopened his eyes and recovered his breath, the physical strain he just went through reminding him of a combat session with the Iron Bull.

Eyeing the floor was the only thing he could do for a while, his hands trembling over it and his fingers trying to dig deep into stone and dirt. John was never one to enjoy pain.

One final sigh of relief, and he rose to his feet, dusting himself up in the meantime.

The warrior then commenced looking for his newest companion. It was not long until he found her. A twist of his head and he spotted her behind him, examining his every move while bearing a sad expression and pursing her lips.

She seemed distressed.

 _'_ _Could it be that she worries about me?'_ He wondered while turning his body towards the apostate.

"This was refreshing." He joked, pinching the bridge of his nose to suppress the imminent headache.

Trevelyan was about to dismiss any need for concern, but the apostate beat him to it. "I apologize." She said, gazing at the ground.

He furrowed his brow, what was she apologizing for?

Soon afterwards, she cleared things up for him. "I allowed my emotions to get the best of me, I will not let it happen again."

"No need for apologies, nor to worry about me, I'm a big boy you know." The nobleman stated, smiling broadly.

She snorted with his words, crossing her arms over her chest in a defying manner. "Do not be mistaken, my lord, I do not hold any concern for your well-being."

"Hum… that hurts quite a lot." He retorted with a droopy body, her words hammering his male pride.

"I would not expect anything less from me, if I were you." Morrigan complemented, but he could practically swear that deep, deep, deep inside there was a hint of worry in those yellow eyes.

That uncommon color always attracted him. Those orbs were a mixture of mystery and temptation, close to the thin border between intoxicating and exhilarating. Sometimes he wanted nothing but drown in that golden sea, but sometimes, he could not help but fear them.

The Inquisitor shook his head to clear up his mind, making her raise a single eyebrow, quizzically. "Perhaps we should return to Skyhold, we've been here long enough." She reasoned and he struggled to keep himself from jumping of joy. Nothing better than to return to his castle and relax a bit.

"Oh please, let's go." He replied immediately, earning a small smile from the mage, no doubt amused with his eagerness.

* * *

The bizarre vortex of energy that wrapped his body whenever crossing the Eluvian was quickly replaced by the cold mountain's atmosphere.

John exhaled and was immediately glad to see the condensation of his breath.

 _'_ _Home.'_ He thought while closing his eyes and relishing the sensations overwhelming his body.

Another thing that disturbed him about "The Crossroads" was the total absence of any kind of physical feeling, absolutely no sound, complete stillness and if not for the ruins and fog at that place, it would be no different from a big void.

The warrior spared one more glance towards the magic mirror, a question immediately popping inside his mind.

"How were you planning to get this thing out of here? I don't even understand how you brought it here in the first place." He asked, obviously due to its massive size, the possibilities flashing inside his head, many of them quite comical.

"Not on my shoulders, I can guarantee." The witch of the wilds answered curtly, likely reading his mind.

He snorted. "But really, how do you intended to move it?"

She pretended to ignore him, heading for the exit of the room, into the gardens. Soon he followed her. The young man did not inquired any further. However, the fixed gaze he maintained on her was enough proof that his curiosity was still there.

After a couple of uncomfortable steps, Morrigan finally succumbed. She halted her quick pace, sighing quite heavily. "Fine. I had not taken the time to ponder about that." She explained, her voice filled with annoyance. "That does not matter anymore, at least for now, so forget about it."

Hearty laughter filled the room, though only his.

The impatient mage pouted. "'Twould seem that you find my lack of forethought enjoyable."

After a few more chuckles, he wiped a single tear that appeared on the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry, it just that you looked so eager in leaving that night, it's funny to know you actually didn't think about your precious Eluvian."

"I'm starting to reconsider leaving." She complemented, resuming her walk towards the yard and he quickly abandoned his carefree composure.

"I'm sorry." Trevelyan apologized once more while following her. "Just so you know, I would gladly help you with the transport if you asked." He whispered to her ear.

"You and this obsession of helping others…" The apostate mumbled, paying no mind to his offer or his proximity. "You waste your power with such foolish antics. 'Tis appealing for the commoners' eyes, but it also makes you look weak. You should stop it."

He wondered how he could reply to that harsh speech, in fact, the warrior could not find the right words. Therefore, he merely smiled. Her skepticism was quite captivating.

The silence that followed apparently disturbed her, because she suddenly stopped and began looking at him intently. "Are you not going to say anything? And what's with this weird smile of yours." She asked.

This time, he was the one pretending to ignore a question, as he walked past her and entered the garden. It was already night, they have spent almost the entire noon training.

"Don't ignore me!" She ordered after catching up to him, clearly frustrated.

"I'm not!" The Free Marcher spoke while turning to her. "I honestly don't know what you want me to say. I feel that I must help, regardless of rewards or appearances. I have the power and resources to do so, why not then. Besides, you are not just anyone."

Morrigan allowed a small smile to appear on her face. "I see that the tales of your friendliness and goodwill are not exaggerated."

"Are you complementing me?" He questioned, attempting to tease her.

"If you consider those attributes a positive thing, then yes." She remarked dubiously, now John was not sure if she meant those words as a praise or just pure mockery.

His doubt was only momentary though, as an Inquisition's soldier approached the duo and disrupted his previous line of thought.

"Your worship, the council request you presence at the war room, immediately." He relayed his message, bowing a bit too much.

The Inquisitor nodded to him, and soon the messenger was gone.

"Your duties await, my lord, we shall speak again soon." The shapeshifter stated, already with her back to him, as she left him alone in the center of the garden, not even allowing for a good bye.

He shrugged his shoulders, and went towards the main hall, whatever it was, it should be important enough to call for a night meeting.

* * *

One of his favorite things about being the Inquisitor was surely the "barging into the war room" scene, it was a complete must whenever his advisors summoned him.

It is safe to say that he did it again this time around.

Trevelyan kicked the door wide open with a loud bang, unfortunately, the trio inside the room was already accustomed with this habit of his. No surprised gasps or screams. It did not matter for him, the first time he had done that the reactions were epic.

"Josephine, Leliana, Cullen." He greeted them while taking his usual spot and each one nodded after hearing their respective names. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, my lord, we have just received news from a discovery that might be of your interest." The spymaster explained, handling him a parchment.

The letter was a curt one, but its contents were of unprecedented size. "So, this Professor Kenric stumbled into something important there, hum?"

"The University of Orlais has vouched for him. If he says there is something worthwhile in Frostback Basin, we should investigate." Montilyet added and he instantly agreed with her.

He went through the letter once more, before eyeing the other two advisors. "What do you think?"

The commander instinctively went to grab the grip of his sword, tightly secured to his waist, a customary routine for him, before giving his opinion on the matter. "The possibilities of learning more about Inquisitor Ameridam after 800 years are unparalleled, your worship. I believe we should send an expedition."

"I agree, the artifacts and equipment we could gather can be of great use and value. Apart from it, I think we all are interested in knowing more about your predecessor." Leliana complemented, the last word accompanied by a light chuckle.

"Very well, let's arrange a scouting mission to investigate this Basin, I will oversee it personally after a camp is established." John stated, eyeing its location on the massive map atop the war table. "I can't wait to get back on the field again."

Life at Skyhold was great, but also quite dull, especially for a warrior like him, who was taught to fight since a very young age. He craved for action, and the timing of that journey could not be better.

Soon afterwards, another thing drew his attention at the map, this one further north. Giving him an idea. "But first I have to get some special supplies, and I happen to know just the right place for it." He explained, smirking. "I will head to Frostback Basin afterwards."

"It is set then, we will commence preparations for the expedition in the morrow, you will meet up with them after your trip north." The former Templar stated the plan and the session was terminated.

One by one, his advisors left the room, yet Trevelyan lingered behind, examining the map. He sought support on the table, placing both palms over it.

It was a marvelous sight for him. All the keeps, all the camps, all the running operations. They have built something amazing and he was proud of it. He would surely do everything in his power to maintain it attached to a good cause.

Yet he could not stand being anchored to a political role, with no activity. Contradictions, contradictions.

Memories of a night long ago flooded his mind, as he recalled Morrigan's grim words. _'This piece you fought so hard to achieve will be short-lived.'_

He scoffed, before finding some determination within her warning. "Not on my watch." The young man said audaciously.

At last, he exited the room. Seeking the companions he intended to take for this new adventure.

"First one, Varric." He mumbled, knowing exactly where the dwarf would be.

* * *

Varric, Dorian and Cole. The party was almost complete, save from one new mage, and Trevelyan already knew where to look first.

Some may ponder why make a garden one's working place. Still, he always found suiting for her, wild and untamed, natural and intriguing. Therefore, the Free Marcher granted her full control of that part of the castle, the things she grew there were somewhat grotesque, but mostly useful. He lost count of how many ointments and potions groomed there he used.

However, he could never understand why keep working even after nightfall, for all he knew, plants did not worked without sun light.

For the second time that day he shrugged his shoulders, choosing to forget about any unnecessary speculations, the young man was starting to do that quite a lot, especially with subjects regarding the mysterious witch of the wilds.

Entering the yard he took the time to examine the place, for the first time since her take over actually, John was always so eager with the training part that he easily forgot about his surroundings. She was doing quite a work there.

Dozens of vases growing various herbs and flowers, stands and greenhouses filled with vials and flask, all carrying the most colorful contents he ever saw.

The nobleman spotted her deep inside a small greenhouse, seated in front of a table. She was surrounded by mountains of books and clearly engrossed in a work he could only imagine the purpose. A small lamp was the sole light the mage had.

"Do you ever stop?" He inquired while supporting himself on a nearby tree and crossing his arms over his chest.

She looked sideways to him, for a second it seemed an extremely bothered look, but her expression changed slightly when she saw whom the unwelcomed visitor was. "I do not really appreciate laying around, doing naught." Morrigan explained, twisting her body to face him properly.

"Then it's hard to believe how someone like you would thrive on the Orlesian court." The young man retorted, instantly remembering the dress she wore on the winter palace. Beautiful.

"No challenge at all. The worst part is surely enduring the fools that inhabit it. The laws of courtesy are so inconvenient: do not set fire to this chevalier, do not encase that baroness in a block of ice... How are we supposed to get through the day?" She commented playfully, making him laugh.

"I have no idea." He replied also comically. "Anyway, I guess your activities here will have to be postponed, as our training."

The apostate narrowed her eyes, trying to figure the reasons for that. "I assume you are going away?" She questioned, returning her focus to a full flask of rock armor tonic, his favorite.

"And it is my intention to take you with me." Trevelyan complemented, and even though she was not facing him, he could easily notice a smile adorning her face.

"Where to, my lord?" The exotic woman asked while getting up and walking towards him.

"Frostback Basin, It is near the Korcari Wilds, you must be familiar with it." He reasoned, eyeing her attentively.

Lastly, she stopped, a few feet from him. "Indeed, I've heard of the place, but never went there." She paused for a moment. "Fine, I'll be ready."

"We leave tomorrow." The warrior said, abandoning his prior position. He was about to leave the garden, when he remembered something. "Ah, almost forgot. We are going to the Free Marches first."

She tilted her head, showing hints of puzzlement. "Do you intend to say hello to your family?"

He snorted with her question. "Not really, just need some supplies."

"But why so far of our destination?" Morrigan asked, her confusion increasing.

"I have one especial shop in mind, this one I'm pretty sure you've never heard of." His last statement clearly wounded her ego, it was his intention after all, he genuinely wanted to see her reaction and he was not disappointed.

"I would like to know what this marvelous and imaginative shop of yours is, if it even exists." It almost sounded like a demand, her patience waving ever so slightly.

Now John was amused, he flashed a victorious grin while turning towards the exit, but not before saying one last taunt. "You will know when I deem fit."

He could have sworn that he felt daggers digging into his back afterwards. The young man then coughed to hide an escaping chuckle and left.

* * *

 **A/N:** I've made an extra effort to upload this before my trip. Now we have the main setting of this story! I've recently played Jaws of Hakkon, it was awesome and the first thing that popped inside my mind was: "This place would be perfect to go with Morrigan." And about the whole voices from the Well of Sorrows, I figure that whoever drank from the well would feel what happened after the epilogue, I'm also considering writting more about it in the future, I'm not sure yet. Anyway, hope you like it and see you soon!


	3. Preparations

"Where are you taking me?" Morrigan was extremely curious. First, she never had been to that side of Skyhold before, second, because the Inquisitor went for her personally in the middle of the night and asked her to accompany him.

Those two things combined were more than enough to grab someone's interest. She was no exception.

"You will see." It was his sole answer, never looking back at her. He kept awfully focused on the path ahead of them, blazing torch at hand while they navigated through the dark and cold stone corridors.

The witch then stopped on her tracks while irritatingly crossing her arms over her chest. There was no way he would keep dragging her around without saying the exact purpose or destination. "I'll ask again, where are you taking me?"

He spared a glance over his shoulder when her steps ceased, before finally turning to her. "We are almost there. See for yourself, it will be worth it!" His tone filled with a mixture of eagerness and annoyance.

Not one to easily give him, she merely narrowed her eyes at him. "I've made you a question, my lord. 'Tis enough that I had agreed with your little tour to the Free Marches without knowing the true purpose." The apostate stood defiantly.

It was his time to show some defiance, so John began walking to her, his eyes scanning her thoroughly. After a few seconds of awkward silence, during which she did not even flinch, he sighed. It was a lost battle after all.

"We are going to the Undercroft, the armory." He answered while resuming his walking.

She opted to accompany him, but the shapeshifter was far from convinced. Another doubt popped inside her mind. "Why at this time? Besides, the armory is at the courtyard."

"We are here." Trevelyan ignored her question, likely deeming it unnecessary since they arrived.

She pressed her lips into a thin line, showing hints of anger, but it was over as quick as it arrived when her quizzical eyes met a massive wooden door past him. Hammering noises coming from within the room, together with an occasional spark flying through the slits between the boards of the door.

As if noticing the exponential increase of her curiosity, he opened the door to reveal its contents.

Immediately afterwards he roared to one of the undercroft's inhabitants. "Harritt, what are you doing this time of the day?" While approaching the man in question and giving him a firm pat on the back.

"Final preparations to your equipment, your worship." He spoke, motioning to his tools in the meantime. "It is always like this whenever you are about to go on a trip."

They exchanged a few more sentences, but Morrigan payed them no mind. She was too busy being impressed by the inside of the chamber.

It was a big compartment, filled with state of the art tools and gadgets. Large tables stood side by side, each with a specific objective, ranging from producing potion to assembling armors and all equipped accordingly.

She was so distracted that she didn't even notice a small figure examining her.

"Hi there." A rather cheerful voice startled her. The apostate then quickly began seeking the source of it.

Of course, she would never guess that her eyes would need to look a little bit lower to find it.

A frustrated cough drew her focus to a place closer to the floor. "Oh, greetings." The mage said, finally seeing the dwarf that approached her. "I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"Nah, don't worry, I've spent my first month here doing the exact same thing. Too many cool stuff right? I'm Dagna by the way." She presented herself, offering her right hand and a large grim.

The shapeshifter eyed it for a moment, previous experiences with dwarves made her wary of the race, especially with their hygiene habits. However, that one seemed nice and clean enough. Therefore, she accepted the handshake with a small smile. "Morrigan."

"Tell me, Dagna, what is your purpose down here?" She questioned, resuming her sightseeing at the armory.

"I'm the Inquisition's arcanist, this is my working place, where I help craft enchanted weapons and masterworks." That surprisingly retort startled the witch even more than before. "Come again?"

"This is my working place, this are my hammers, my tables." The arcanist complied innocently, unware that her first words actually caused that reaction.

"You, an arcanist?" Morrigan was straightforward, no use being subtle, especially with her interest reaching its peak.

Dagna hesitated for a moment, slightly offended, probably finally reaching the same conclusion that her. "Well, yeah. I've been studying magic for my whole life."

"But you are a dwarf." Yes, the mage was definitely not subtle.

"You don't have to remind me of that." The dwarf pouted, even though it was only momentary, because soon afterwards she was back to her buoyant self. "I can't use magic, but I can still understand it. Like. I can tell that you are a mage, because there are many traces on your body that indicates you draw power from the Fade. You just need to look, and want to see and learn. And your robes kind of give it away." The last part was barely a whisper.

"Impressive." The apostate admitted. Dagna's determination, even with her own limitations, was a sign of strength that she admired greatly.

The arcanist beamed, hearing such words coming from a mage surely gave a boost to her pride. _'The Inquisition have some good folk working for them.'_ Morrigan thought, more fondly than usual, perhaps her time with the Inquisition was softening her a bit. "Can you show me your work?" She was genuinely interested.

If the dwarf's smile was already big, after the question it reached a completely new level, almost illuminating the whole room.

She was about to commence a complete tour around her belongings when Dagna suddenly froze, her expression clearly showing that she had remembered something once forgotten.

"Come here." She grabbed her hand and darted towards a specific table while shouting. "Inquisitor! Inquisitor, I have something to show you!"

John was entertained with the testing of his new grappling chain, apparently made of dragon bone. However, her cries easily drew his attention, for the great annoyance of Harritt, apparently the blacksmith and the arcanist shared a comical rivalry down there.

"By all means Dagna, show me." The Herald stated, putting his new toy aside and walking in her direction, stopping right besides Morrigan. She had to confess that she was also tempted to see whatever it was.

The dwarf then picked up a greatsword from under the table, struggling with its enormous size compared to hers. After dropping it quite clumsily atop a table, she proceeded to explain her work. "I finished with your sword, Inquisitor, it is definitely one of the finest weapons ever crafted and the magic in it feels old and quite dangerous. Anyway, I made some enhancements and tinkering. You should try it out."

The apostate took the chance to examine the object, a curved greatsword, its grip beautifully adorned with gems and gold, its razor sharp blade could probably cut anything, but what really drew her attention was an elven word magically scribed at the side of it. _'Sulevin.'_ She was quite prolific at speaking elven, but the meaning of that particular word escaped her.

The young man picked it up effortlessly with a single hand, impressing both women. "Purpose." He murmured happily. "Ha, now that I can understand elven I finally discovered the meaning of this."

Suddenly a spark flow from the grip of the sword towards the blade, and in less than a second the whole of it was on fire, crackling and burning, but with no smoke, it was surely magical. "Woah, nice!" The Inquisitor spoke, not fazed by the heat emanating from his weapon and swinging it side to side to test its balance.

"Yeah, this part is mine. I enchanted the sword with an extremely powerful fire rune, it should help a lot." Dagna explained enthusiastically.

After a few more seconds of careless swinging a flaming sword inside a closed room, John finally put it away, but not before speaking with his arcanist. "This is amazing Dagna, thank you very much."

"No problem Inquisitor." She nodded to him. "Now I have a new shipment of runes that arrived this morning to study, I can't wait to use them! See ya." Soon she was across the room, opening crates after crates and pilling them high.

The blacksmith sighed, while walking towards a table besides her, resuming his work on an imposing red armor.

That left them both relatively alone in the corner.

"You can't even imagine how much shit I went through to get this sword here." John commenced and the apostate felt he was about to start a long story, but one that was surely interesting. Ancient elven lore was one of her favorites. "Come, I have something for you."

That left her a little saddened, but surely, there would be time to tell stories later, so she followed him to another section of the room, one that Morrigan did not see before.

Dozens of swords, shields, daggers, axes, bows and staffs neatly organized on a large wall, all of them shining and ready for use, but none simply created. She felt magic emitting from many of them, purpose and history. Those were not simple weapons, each one felt unique and especial, but more importantly, each felt extremely powerful. _'Quite a collection.'_ She wondered inside her mind.

"I've traveled a lot during the last few months, duty taking me to many amazing places. These are all the artifacts I've collected during those trips, many of them were really hard to get." The warrior explained while motioning to the wall.

The apostate scoffed while checking a particular staff. "I would never expect you to be a patron of historical artifacts. A hard man like you, fond of hitting things, an owner of an admirable collection."

A smile was his only answer for a few moments, while he followed her gaze. "It helps you know. Collecting them provided me with a hobby and learning from them gave me a distraction. Both I welcomed dearly while fighting to save this world."

"It seems we share an interest, my lord Inquisitor." She spoke gently, that man never ceased to impress her.

They kept an eye contact for a while. When Trevelyan finally spoke once more, it was to make another unexpected offer. "Well, take your pick."

"You are joking." The surprised witch of the wilds retorted quickly, not believing his good will to part with any of those ancient items.

His laughter made the others look at them for a moment, before resuming their respective works. "Really, it is one of the many benefits of being my companion. Free mighty weapons." He said, stepping aside and allowing her full view of the wall.

She rose an eyebrow while eyeing him quizzically, after satisfied with his genuine intentions, she allowed herself to enthusiastically examine each of those staffs.

The apostate did try to hide her happiness, but apparently, the sharp man saw through her deception. The big smile and the smug look that appeared on his face was quite telling.

She rolled her eyes with his antics, but decided to focus on the arsenal ahead of her. Yellow eyes scanning each staff, feeling, sensing. The magic flared vigorously around them, and that made her wonder if the Inquisitor would be aware of the true power those weapons held.

Suddenly, one particular crackle on the Fade attracted her gaze slightly to the left.

There, atop a quite modest pedestal, stood an impressive weapon, three silver dragons' heads, twisting around each other to form the shape of a staff.

"This is new. Didn't have time to catalogue and study it properly." He explained from her side, likely seeing her interest in that one.

She kept a fixed look on it for a while, before inquiring about it. "How you stumbled upon such a weapon?"

John paused for a moment, recalling the chain of events that led him to it. "Actually, it was a gift, and you were present!" He finished with a surprised snort.

Morrigan turned to face him, bearing a confused expression while trying to remember anything.

"Back at the Temple of Mythal, Calpernia gave it to me after I revealed Corypheus' true plan." His words were enough to refresh her memories.

"I was not present when you confronted her." She explained and he chuckled when realizing his mistake. "Yeah, you were too busy touring around the Temple as a raven."

Her jaw clenched, how he dared to diminish her aid as a mere tour. "I was pursuing a potential threat to the Well of Sorrows!" Her tone was fierce, anger building slowly inside her.

"Sure, but you did miss a dangerous portion of the battle." The Herald explained, and there was something about his intonation that seemed to ridicule her.

She took a step towards him while placing an accusing finger on his chest. "What are you implying? That I was trying to flee. My sole purpose was to spare the Well from any harm that might had come to it, if you cannot see that, then 'tis your problem." Morrigan replied angrily, turning away from him and the staff, getting ready to leave the room.

"We arrived there at the same time. All I am saying is that, in the end, it didn't made the slightest differen-." His voice was serene and intense, nevertheless, it was still cut short by hers. "This discussion is over. I will not have you question the integrity of my intentions back at the Temple."

As quick as she interrupted him, the mage left, not looking behind and only guessing the look on everyone's face. Although, at the back of her mind, she wondered if she had overreacted.

 _'_ _Of course not.'_ She thought, her pride getting the best of her once more.

* * *

Another chilly day atop the mountains. That was the usual prospect for the day at Skyhold. The castle was surely comfortable, but the cold would be ever present there. Actually, Morrigan was already getting used to it. It did not disturb her nearly as much as once did.

Therefore, while she walked atop the fortress' battlements, the only thing that was fazing her was the probable satisfaction on John's face when he finally spotted her.

Surely, after last night events, he would never expect her to still accompany him to the Free Marches, but the apostate was not one to take her compromises for granted, and so, there she was. The morning barely starting while she headed towards the rendezvous point atop the main gate.

She spared a glance to the foot of the mountain. The sun was emerging from within the massive camp besides the frozen river. It impressed her how it shrunk ever since Corypheus demise, but only a fool would challenge the Inquisition, even when many of their followers left after the fight was over. Their strength still gave pause to nations, but more importantly, the hand that guided it was now more powerful than ever, and his power would only grow.

Perhaps a chance to bask on his glory was not such a bad idea after all.

Her wondering ceased when a glimpse of red caught her focus, Trevelyan's armor. The shapeshifter never really understood why such a flashy color, although she did remember him saying something about scaring his enemies. Vanity was her best guess.

He was engaged in a casual talk with the mage from Qarinus, Dorian Pavus, his style was overly extravagant, but his skill was unquestionable, as his resolve in changing his country.

Then it was time to Varric emerge from a staircase nearby, soon followed by Cole. The dwarf always posed like a know it all, it annoyed her sometimes, but his kindness and goodwill were always there. The spirit boy was a tricky fellow, she always doubted that something like him could even exist, and there he was, fighting side by side with the Inquisitor, constantly helping everyone.

They all put some duffle bags on the floor, no doubt their supplies for the long trip ahead. For some reason that simple motion sent goose bumps through her body. The witch hated to admit, but she was excited with their adventure, it had been too long since she last traveled like that.

The last few steps in the group's direction were quick ones and just as she reached them, his eyes immediately met hers. Morrigan saw surprise in them, although not as much as she expected. However, what really aroused her curiosity was the glint of happiness accompanying it. The young man was clearly glad she came.

"Now we have the famous Witch of the Wilds alongside us, such a pleasant company, I hope you enjoy troubles and hardships, those two kind of follow us around." Dorian was the first to speak to her amidst a smirk, if it was frustration or just his own way of speaking, she was not sure.

Suddenly, Cole rose in front of her, almost like a shadow, deep eyes looking straight at her soul. When he opened his mouth to talk she feared what he would say. "Can you transform into a bird again?"

The apostate did not have the time to answer, both due to her bewilderment with such an unforeseen request and to a loud sigh echoing from beside her, drawing her attention once more.

"Don't worry about it, okay? You get used to the weirdness in a few days." Varric's voice was as deep as she remembered. "I don't know what our illustrious leader said to have you on board, but welcome anyway."

"So, everyone's here, good, now let us head to the stables." The Inquisitor commanded, earning a nod from everyone, including her.

At first, he led the way, but after a few moments, he slowed his pace. His older companions eventually went ahead of him, all already knowing the procedures that preceded an expedition.

The apostate was the last one of the party and when she finally reached him, the young warrior resumed his normal rate of speed.

"I wasn't expecting you to show up." He explained, and she jeered in return, ever so defensive. "I am not one to take my commitments lightly, if I said I would follow you, I will."

He rose his hands with her aggressive behavior, laughing heartedly in the meantime. Then, John murmured a thank you, before adding slightly irritated. "But you didn't allow me to finish last night."

Her silence was enough proof that she was actually listening whatever he had to say. "I was worried, after you left in pursuit, everything went to chaos, Guardians and Venatori almost brought the Temple down over our heads. I feared what could happen to you alone."

There was sincerity in his words, it was enough to left her somewhat speechless. That man was always so forthcoming with her, why? Moreover, what was he to her? Honestly, he was merely a mean to an end, a tool that would prevent Corypheus from destroying the world, her world. However, that was before, when everything started. Maybe it was getting a bit more complicated than that now.

Those troublesome thoughts brought something new to her heart, guilt. Indeed, they were getting closer, they spent most of the final days of the campaign against Corypheus together, planning, even fighting. Then he asked her to follow him. Trainings came, afternoons isolated from the rest of the world, only both of them. She even found his eagerness and clumsiness endearing sometimes. On top of that, Morrigan always respected him, in spite of his decisions that went against hers, which were not few.

Still, she decided not to linger on those questions.

It all happened within a heartbeat, for her at least. They were almost reaching their destination by the time she realized the silence and his intensive gaze.

The witch was quick to dismiss his concern, but was not fully able to disguise her affliction with the situation. "You need not worry about me. I have lived most of my life on my own, 'twas no challenge and will never be.

His expression showed his doubt about her answer, but regardless of that, he changed the subject, for her great delight. "Anyway, I don't think you are properly equipped for our journey." The warrior stated, his eyes examining her revealing robes and the rather small bundle of belongings she was carrying. Then, he looked at his own heavy armor and thick great bear cloak, not to mention the 22 pounds bag.

"This is not my first adventure, Inquisitor. Besides, I've come and gone from Skyhold more than once." She retorted, her lighter side mocking him, while placing her things besides one of the horses that awaited them.

The nobleman sighed with her stubbornness and without a word, removed his cloak and placed it on her shoulders.

Before she could protest, however, a set of strong hands grabbed her waist and hoisted her high enough to place her on the saddle.

Her cheeks quickly reddened with the unnecessary show John just pulled. He simply laughed and in the meantime secured her bundle to the right side of the horse.

After satisfied, he went for his one and with a simple and fluid movement, he was atop of the creature, regardless of his heavy armor.

One Inquisition soldier brought his greatsword and his personalized helmet. She recognized it from the marching at the Arbor Wilds, a Free Marches helmet, tinted with bloodstone. The Herald equipped both of them and was ready to leave, as were his companions.

"To the Storm Coast!" He ordered, and even muffled by the helmet, his voice was loud and clear.

With that, they were of, starting the long descent of the Frostbacks.

After a few minutes, the shapeshifter looked behind. Skyhold decreasing in size while she wondered quite hungrily what awaited them.

* * *

 **A/N:** I am so sorry! I don't even know where to start my apology. I was away, then I returned and was writing in my free time, which is not much. But I also decided to finish the Jaws of Hakkon DLC, so it kept me busy, then The Descent came and soon after I finished it, the Trespasser came! (Yes, bioware is quite successful in extorting my hard earned money). I won't give spoilers about any of them now, but they messed up many of my post-game headcannons! But they also gave me many, many, many ideas! And I'm far from beeing a good author that can organize his ideas properly, so, everything came rushing inside my head, I couldn't decide anything! I started to get ahead of myself, think about sequels, time-skips, one-shots, before even writing the next chapter, it also interefered with my other fiction. Total Chaos. Anyway, it is not a proper excuse. I'm sorry, I'm slowly getting my shit together and hopefully I'll be able to write normally again soon. I don't know about this chapter, I enjoyed it and also think it is not quite good. I just hope you will like it! Give me your opinion! Sorry for the A/N, but you deserved an explanation.


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